Pioneer Woman's Spinach Salad

 

I made this today and it was over the top delicious.  The difference is caramelized onions.  You saute onions in bacon drippings and it takes away the hot, raw taste.  This recipe is absolutely delicious.  Thanks Pioneer Woman, you’ve done it again.

This is her recipe and below is her original link which you will want to look at for step by step directions.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 whole Eggs
• 7 slices Thick Cut, Peppered Bacon
• 1 whole Red Onion, Small
• 1 package Mushrooms, White Button
• 8 ounces, weight Baby Spinach, Washed Dried And Stems Removed
• 3 Tablespoons Reserved Bacon Grease
• 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Sugar - I used 3 drops EZ-Sweetz
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 dash Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook eggs: cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to sit in water for 20 minutes. Drain off water and add ice on top of eggs.

Fry bacon until crispy/chewy. Remove to a paper towel. 

Remove 3 tablespoons grease and set aside. 

Add 2 add'l tablespoons of grease to a separate skillet over medium heat.

Slice red onions very thinly, then add to skillet. Cook slowly until onions are caramelized and reduced. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Slice mushrooms and add them to the same skillet. Cook slowly until caramelized and brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Chop bacon.

Peel and slice eggs.

Make hot bacon dressing: Add 3 tablespoons bacon grease, vinegar, sugar, and Dijon to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk mixture together and heat thoroughly.

Add spinach to a large bowl. Arrange onions, mushrooms, and bacon on top. Pour hot dressing over the top; toss to combine.
Arrange eggs over the top and serve.

Enjoy!

Link to PIONEER WOMAN’s original recipe here

Delicious Low Carb Cauliflower Salad

 

This Cauliflower Salad is so good you won’t even miss the potatoes.  We all tend to tweak recipes, but this one is so good  made exactly as is.  ~ Jan

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium head cauliflower (about 4 cups/1 quart florets) - I used 16 oz. of frozen cauliflower and cooked it covered for 10 minutes on high in microwave, don’t overcook, you don’t want it mushy
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1 medium stalk celery, minced (including leaves)
• ½ cup chopped red or green pepper, chopped
• 2  green onions chopped (green and white parts)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 1-2 drops hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper - I used cayenne
• 3 drops of EZ-Sweetz
• 1/4 cup sugar-free sweet pickle relish or you could use dill
• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

1) Break or chop the cauliflower into smallish florets. If they are too big, they're difficult to cook so that they have the right "bite" and flavor - the outside tends to overcook.

2) Microwave florets in a covered container with a small amount of water, or steam on the stove. I've never tried boiling, but cauliflower tends to hold on to water, so I'm a little skeptical. You want them to be fork-tender (a fork slips in easily), but not overcooked (avoiding the stronger smell and flavor which develops with longer cooking).

 

3) Drain and put into a medium bowl. Chop the egg and add. Toss with salt and pepper. I like quite a bit of pepper, and it does seem to take a surprising amount of salt, but this would be to taste. 

4) Mix the ingredients for the dressing (mayo, lemon juice, spices, etc.). Taste for the balance of flavors you like. Mix the chopped vegetables and the dressing into the cauliflower and egg mixture. Add chopped fresh herbs if you wish - chives, dill, or parsley work well.

Garnish with the herbs, or sprinkle with paprika. Chill.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information: Each serving has 3 grams effective carbohydrates plus 1.5 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, and 99 calories.

 

Comfort Noodles

When I saw this recipe that The Clothes Make the Girl posted back in 2011, I was intrigued.

Here’s in part what she had to say about this dish.

Trust me: this does not taste like a big bowl of zucchini. The garlic and olive oil trump transform this dish so it tastes like neither vegetables nor eggs, but some miraculous, noodle-y merging of the two. It’s warm and tender and scrumptious. A hug in a bowl.

I made it for lunch today, found out that I need to make a few alterations to make this work for me, but it was one of the yummiest low-carb dishes I’ve had in a long time.

So, hats off to you, Melissa, this indeed a keeper recipe that I will make again and again.

First I’ll give you her recipe, with a link to her site, and then tell you what I did and will do differently the next time.

Ingredients:
2 small zucchini, julienned (about 2 cups) [Julienne peeler or Spiralizer is essential.]
generous 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon almond flour or almond meal
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 eggs, scrambled
a handful of fresh parsley, minced for garnish (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the julienned zucchini in a colander or wire strainer and toss with the salt until coated. Allow to sit for 20 minutes to drain excess water, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. (You may be tempted to skip this step; I strongly advise against it. This step insures tender, rather than watery, noodles.)

2. While the zucchini is sweating in the colander, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the almond flour with the coconut oil, sprinkle it with a smidgen of salt, then sauté in the pan, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until it’s toasty brown, about 1 minute. Remove from pan and save for garnish.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the zucchini noodles. Sauté until just tender, about 1-2 minutes. Push the noodles to the side of the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Wait a minute; it’s essential that the pan cools down before adding the eggs. Add the olive oil and garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, about 20 seconds, pour in the eggs and allow them to cook until just beginning to set a tiny bit. Mix the zucchini noodles into the egg and continue to stir gently and continuously until the egg is set and clinging to the noodles. Taste, then add salt and pepper to your liking.

4. Serve noodles in a deep bowl and sprinkle with the almond flour crumbs and minced parsley. Slurping and ridiculously big bites heartily encouraged.

And here are my changes.

First of all, 1/4 a teaspoon of salt was not enough salt for me to sweat my zucchini after I spiraled it with the Paderno.  Perhaps I used larger zucchini than she did, or perhaps it was because I added a couple of summer squash because I didn’t have enough zucchini.  I could see it not sweating, I added probably a total of 2 teaspoons of salt to sweat it.  I need to research this a bit more.

But anyway, I also don’t think I let it sweat long enough, because even though I rinsed and patted dry, it did still weep a bit when I cooked it.

I doubled the almond flour, coconut oil mixture because hubs was eating this too, and it took a lot longer than a minute for it to brown in my large skillet.  But that’s okay, I had patience and the nutty flavor was absolute heaven.   I’ll use this topping instead of breadcrumbs on casseroles, such as escalloped cabbage, that I make in the future

Okay, so then I julienned my zucchini and summer squash with my much loved Paderno Veggie Spiralizer and  went ahead and added a tablespoon of olive oil to sauté.  The recipe didn’t say to do this, but I needed the oil to make this step work.

Then I pushed them to one side, added a clove of crushed garlic, let it get fragrant, then I stirred in the eggs and tossed continuously.  The next time I’ll add another clove of garlic, you could taste the garlic,  but the flavor was a bit too subtle I thought.

ThenI served it up in Fiesta Ware bowls,  put the toasted almond flour on top, and oh my, it was wonderful.  Absolutely amazingly delicious.  And Melissa is right, you don’t taste the egg, you just taste comfort.  Love, love love this dish, Can’t say enough good things about it.

Here’s her original recipe.

Photograph is from The Clothes Make The Girl
(I was too busy eating to take my own pictures, bad Jan) 

Green Bean, Tomato and Salami Salad

George Stella has done it again.  This recipe is from his new cookbook and looks wonderful.  I snagged it on Facebook and had to share.

Green Bean, Tomato, and Salami Salad 
with Tangy Italian Dressing
Recipe by George Stella / StellaStyle.com

Prep Time 20 min/ Chill Time 1-2 hrs/ Serves 8

Shopping List
Salad
6 ounces thick cut salami
1 bag (14-16 ounces) frozen whole green beans
3 medium tomatoes
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
Tangy Italian Dressing
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1⁄4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Let green beans thaw on counter for 45 minutes before preparing. Slice salami into 1⁄4 inch thick matchsticks about 11⁄2 inches long.

2. Slice tops off of tomatoes and then slice each into 8 wedges.

3. Create the dressing by adding the Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and Italian seasoning to a large mixing bowl. Whisk rapidly as you slowly pour in the olive oil until all is combined and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste, though I suggest about 1⁄8 a teaspoon of each.

4. Add thawed green beans, sliced salami, tomato wedges, and diced red onion to the large mixing bowl containing the dressing and toss all to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to marinate before serving.

George’s Tips | You can make this even easier with about 1⁄2 cup of store bought Italian dressing; just make sure to read the ingredients for added sugar as some Italian dressings can have as much as 8 grams of the stuff per serving!

Variation | Adding 4 slices of provolone cheese, sliced into thin strips, takes this salad to an even greater place

calories: 145|fat: 12g |protein: 4g |fiber:2g |net carbs:4g

You can order his new cookbook on Amazon - here’s the link

Thanks again George for another great recipe.

photo courtesy of George Stella

Crusty Parmesan Herb Zucchini Bites

 

Veggies are always a challenge on low carb and this looks amazing, I’m making these ASAP!  Thanks to According to Elle for posting this.  You can get her recipes on her website, here’s the link!

Photo courtesy of accoringtoelle.com

Buttoni's Oven Fried Summer Squash

Low Carbers struggle with veggies.  This recipe from Peggy’s website is a must try at our house.  Pork rinds, mayo and squash, you can’t go wrong with this one.  I’ve had great success using pork rinds as a coating, I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the seasonings make them wonderful and they are so crunchy.

Hop on over to Buttoni’s Low Car Recipes for this great idea...

Photo taken from Buttoni’s website

Buttoni's Smoked Gouda Cauliflower

 

Peggy at Buttoni’s Low Carb Recipes has done it again.  This is one of her very favorites.

You can grab it from her site here!

Photograph taken from Buttoni’s site

Roasted Cauliflower

 

Ingredients

 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 head cauliflower

1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chile powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole

 

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a low carb version of everybody’s holiday staple.   This recipe from Peace Love and Low Carb is chocked full of yummy ingredients - has to be a winner!

Grab it from her site here...

Photo courtesy of Peace Love and Low Carb

Twice Baked Cauli-Tots

 

Paleo Girl’s Kitchen posted this recipe for faux potatoes.  It’s a must try at our house as I always struggle for veggie ideas.

I might add cheese, I seem to add cheese to everything, but this looks like something hubby would love as he misses potatoes and gets tired of the samo cauliflower recipes I make. 

Grab the recipe from her site...

Photo from Paleo Girl’s Kitchen